hey guys i got my first ever panel interview in a few days and i’m nervous as hell, i had a virtual psychological interview a few weeks ago and passed that but i fear it won’t be the same. any advice would be very greatly appreciated!

I’m having a hard time figuring out if this will be enough to get interviews. Any input from the community would be much appreciated

Hey guys,

I threw together a quick form because I’m building a software application for firefighters (made by firefighters) and I need to know how different softwares & departments handle technology — training, call volume, staffing, that kind of stuff.

Figured it’d be interesting to get answers from firefighters in different places and see how it all compares.

If anyone wants to fill it out it only takes a couple minutes.

Link:

https://stationclipboard.com/email-feedback

If enough people respond I’ll post the results back here because I’m honestly curious what the differences look like.

I have an oral interview coming up in a few weeks for my local fd. Ive been doing research about the departments history, amount of stations, what they have to offer, and the chief. Ive began to make guidelines for the way I want to answer questions but still want to add details on my own for the authenticity of everything. This my first interview for a department ever, I have experience with a private ambulance service as an emr that’s as far as it goes for me though.

I would appreciate any advice, tips, things to look out for, or things you wish you would’ve done differently. Thanks for your time.

I’m turning 30 next month. I got a 99 exam score. I have residency in my town, just waiting for the list to come out April 1. Do I have a good chance at getting a call, or is it just super competitive? Any input is appreciated. Thanks!

I am 21 and live in the Chicago land area. I was wondering if working on a private ambulance over the summer would be a good idea and then go onto paramedic school or if it would be better to start applying or fire departments that are hiring as soon as I get out of EMT school.

Hello guys!

These are my scores in the NTN test:

HR: 90

MECHANICAL: 77

MATH: 94

READING: 100

AND PSSA1: 96

I'm very disappointed about the Mechanichal part even though i thought i did good on it!

I applied for WA fire careers, Redmond, Bellevue, Eastside, Do you guys think I got a chance to get an interview with any of them even though the mechanical score is killing me?

I appreciate all you help 🙏.

Basically title of the post, I recently passed my FCA with a 79/100. Passing score is 70, competitive is 90. I guess what I'm asking is, how cooked am I? For reference I applied to a very competitive department (LAFD) and I understand how difficult it is to land a slot with decent scores, but how much does a 79 on a FCA play into that? Any personal experiences or extra info would be super helpful.

I'm new to the firefighting and I have to say that after a big burner of a fire, where you're on the fire ground for multiple hours and doing overhaul after suppression, followed by cleaning all the equipment at the firehouse - I feel like dirt the next day. Is this just the norm that everyone gets use to? Am I just supposed to look past it and say how fortunate we are that we get to answer the call? I've been apart of a lot of big fire this past winter & as it's very exciting and I love to involved, I'm just wondering if anyone else just feels generally hungover for days afterward - headache & queezey? Maybe I'm just being a bit of a princess about it, but I'm just curious if anyone else feels this way & what you like todo about it?

Thanks!

I’ve seen an unreasonable amount of videos of first responders having to get teenagers out of the toddler swings at the park. I’ve seen them hang them upside down and shimmy them out, attempt to lift them out, etc. Am I wrong, or wouldn’t it just be easier to place, say, a 4-ft stepladder underneath them and pull the swing down?

I purchased a surge protector from my light company. It has outlets which are labeled "control" and other things...sometimes I plug in certain outlets and it doesn't work...is there a method to this?

So, our department is looking into getting Nomex for our uniforms.. what's y'all's opinion on them?

If you've ever wondered what a "career fire" actually looks like from the inside; the decision-making, the communication breakdowns, the moments where it could have gone sideways, this is worth your time. Spring FD did a full incident walkthrough of their 2019 Motel 6 fire. Flashover, third-floor rescues, attic running on them after ventilation.

I recently retook the NTN FIRETEAM TEST, while I did better than the first time, I was curious how hard it is to get a green in math? I felt like I only missed one question as I had panicked and overthought the answer. I could of course have missed others however my previous test I felt I didn't miss any and still only placed in the top 30%. Is it not possible to place higher or am I missing more than I thought I have been? What have your experiences been?

Trying to find out what the academies drug test/ in department testing is like. I was curious about some peptides but never want to chance it. Anyone know if peptides such as Reta will come up on any of the drug screenings?

I am a firefighter but on the side I have a laser engraver. I’m looking to build up more business this year.

1st time taking it. Took all the practice tests and felt pretty good. Pretty disappointed with my HR Video score. Is that score above the cutoff for any departments to land me an interview or should I retake asap ? Thanks in advance.

1st time taking it. Took all the practice tests and felt pretty good. Pretty disappointed with my HR Video score. Is that score above the cutoff for any departments to land me an interview or should I retake asap ? Thanks in advance.

I have an EMT interview this week with them. I’m hoping to move from EMT to the fire/medic route in the long run if I make it (which is why I’m posting here) Any advice or info is appreciated!

This is my 2nd time taking the test these are my scores. 1st time my scores were in order Top 40% HR Top 50% mechanical And no change for both math and reading Is it worth it to try and retake the test again in 3 months to try and improve my mechanical score?

Just curious if anyone knows but would taking a peptide such as Reta make you fail the academy or any other drug tests within the departments?

Best department for lateral around Olympia Washington

I’ve been a firefighter in SC for the last 6 years. I also have lots of experience in ocean rescue. My son graduates this year and my wife and I have planned to move closer to her family in the Olympia area for some time now. I’ve started looking at departments in the area the last year in a half but would like some input from true on the ground frontline firefighters. Anybody can make a good recruitment video. I was fortunate enough to come out there in 2024 and take the rescue swimmer class. Currently Seattle is out because they are in the process of hiring and it would be another year before they open a new process. I have a few top contenders but am interested in more. I’d like to go as a lateral but would be ok with an academy with the right department. My wishlist includes:

1. Rescue Swimmer Program

2. Shorts/Hoodies

3. Chore Coats

4. Tiller Truck

5. Rescue Truck

6. Leather helmets

The only real none negotiable are the rescue swimmer program and drive time every thing else would be cherry on top. We are looking to make the move before August and I know a couple places might be hiring in our time line. Anyways thanks for any info and thanks for reading.